1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cartridge for ink-jet printer.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
The existing cartridge matching to ink-jet printer includes a cartridge body, a protective cover moving relatively to the cartridge body under pressure, a detection mechanism for cartridge and remaining ink volume, wherein the cartridge body includes an ink storage chamber, an ink outlet for providing ink to the printing head and an air inlet. The cartridge must include two kinds of detection mechanism in order to ensure the normal operation of cartridge after installed in the printer. During the installation process of cartridge on the printer, one detection mechanism at first prevents the light from the emission member of the second sensor from returning to the reception member of the second sensor, and then allows such light to return to the reception member of the second sensor with the installation progress. After that, the other detection mechanism prevents the light from the emission member of the first sensor from returning to the reception member of the first sensor, and finally, the light from the emission member of the first and second sensors is prevented from returning to corresponding reception member. Installation detection is completed after that, and then the printer gives a prompt that cartridge installation is completed to go to the next operation. The mechanism of the existing cartridge for detecting cartridge and ink volume is shown as FIG. 1, comprising the first detecting member a, the second detecting member b, the third detecting member c, a light transmission member d and a movable lever e. The said detection mechanism is realized by sheltering the light from sensor, whereof the operating principle is as follows: when cartridge is installed in the printer, the light from the second sensor in the printer is sheltered by the second detecting member b initially and then connected without the shelter of the second detecting member b with the installation of cartridge. After that, the light from the first sensor is sheltered by the first detecting member a, and finally the light from the second sensor is also sheltered by the third detecting member c, whereafter the printer gives a prompt of the existence of cartridge for the next operation. The said third detecting member c is comprised of a light transmission member d and a lightproof movable lever e, the position of the latter may vary with the ink volume in the cartridge, and the light from the second sensor can detect the ink volume in the cartridge according to the fact whether the light is sheltered by the third detecting member c.
The solution involves too many detecting members and the processes are too complex in terms of installation detection of the printer. When ink is detected to be run out, the defect is the design of lever. Complex processes of float installation reduce the production efficiency of the cartridge. In addition, the material for the light-sheltering member moving with the change of ink volume in the cartridge must be lightproof, while black PP material is used in the above project, so it is required to mix the black color with PP material uniformly during molding production, otherwise identification will not be performed accurately for installation of cartridge into the printer. The light-sheltering member has to move with the change of the ink volume in the cartridge, which requires many members, resulting in complex production processes and inferior identification accuracy.